There are many apps in the Play Store that specifically require root access on your device. With root becoming more and more acceptable among OEMs and in some cases even the carriers, the explosion in root apps make sense. However, many of them serve the same purpose and there hasn’t been something truly unique in a while now. Memory Lock is an app that requires root as well, so if you don’t have root this might not be for you, but does it offer anything new? Read on to find out.
Description: Memory Locker is an application that essentially keeps apps in memory. In a nutshell, it solves the problem of Android “killing” processes. When the system on your Android phone runs out of memory, it will “kill off” a process in order to free up some memory. So, for instance you might go back to an app you opened earlier on to find that it had to be relaunched, because Android had killed the process to free up some RAM. This can be annoying for certain users who rely on a handful of apps throughout the day, with Memory Locker you can choose which apps aren’t available to be killed by the system. You can lock any app that’s installed on your device and it works well. Please remember, that you need to have root access on your device. If you don’t know what that means then this is probably not an app for you.
How it Works: Before you go any further, make sure you’re phone or tablet is rooted, because otherwise this app won’t work. If you are rooted, then go ahead and download the app from the Play Store. Once you’ve given the app superuser access, you can start using the app.
There are prompts like the one above that are used often and they give you a little help when it comes to using the app. Essentially, when you run the app, you’ll see a list of all your installed apps, like this:
If you want to lock an app, to keep it in memory, all you have to do is touch the padlock. That’s it.
Apex Launcher is an app that someone is going to lock quite often, to make sure that the homescreen doesn’t keep reloading. When an app is locked, once you run it, it won’t be killed off.
As well as downloaded apps you can take a look at System Apps and lock them in as well.
That really is all there is to Memory Locker, it’s a super-simple way to solve an annoying issue. While it’s not the most complete of apps, it serves a good purpose and doesn’t give the user too much rope to hang themselves with.
Opinion: While Android has changed dramatically over the years, it still manages memory in the much the same way as it always has. Which is great for devices with 2GB of RAM but, as apps become more and more hungry, even 1GB of RAM is beginning to look like only a small amount of memory. Memory Locker can help you simply get around this issue by selecting certain apps you want to keep in memory. This is especially great for the Launcher or an after-market home app like Apex Launcher. As well as this, you can mark apps like eBay and such if you rely on these a number of times throughout the day. It works well and is a very simply app but, I did notice some added battery drain through my usage of the app but, that could be different for others.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – With so little going on besides the minimal UI, there’s nothing that slows Memory Locker down.
- Features (3/5) – It does exactly what it sets out to do but, it would be nice if there were some more advanced options for those not familiar with OOM and such.
- Theme (4/5) – We can’t fault Memory Locker here for its use of a minimal and clean-looking Holo UI that is brilliantly easy to use.
- Overall (4/5) – While it’s not perfect, it does exactly what it says it does and might be the easiest way to keep an app in memory without having to get too involved with scripts and the such.
Pros
- It’s easy to set-up and easy to use.
- Clean Holo UI will fit right in on Nexus devices or custom ROM users.
- Does exactly what it sets out to do.
- Simple explanations for each task the app does.
Cons
- Some added battery drain could be a result.
- More detailed explanations for power-users would be great.
Conclusion: While Memory Locker is one of the more simple root-only apps out there, it still achieves what it sets out to do, and that’s the important thing here. Being able to lock certain apps in memory is not going to be for everyone but, for those that know they don’t want eBay to be closed so they don’t miss an auction will love this. Not just that but, certain apps don’t react well to being closed while they’re not in use, like Ingress or other games. The added battery drain I experienced could just be my device but, it might be something to look out for. Overall though, Memory Locker offers a quick and simple way to make sure certain apps are there when you want them and when you need them. Without having to wait for them to reload.